Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Buddhist Channel (TV, Web)


Chief: The Life and Work of K Sri Dhammnanda -- Buddhist Channel original film on Malaysia's most famous [Sri Lankan] monk, which premiered at WIFF.
Now Showing: Part 1. download; Part 2. download Part 3. download

Premasara Epasinghe, Pvt. Sec'y to the Minister of Education
(WQ, Daily News of Sri Lanka)

(Buddhist Channel TV) Television is powerful and popular. It was only introduced to Sri Lanka in 1979. Why is it powerful and popular? It communicates directly and simultaneously to every home. Television captures the entire family at the same time. So its impact is enormous.

Peaceful co-existence through Dharma
Television's audio-visual contents can be used for the betterment or detriment of society. Most TV channels in the world are interested in arousing the five senses.

There are many reports published in the West about social research on TV and violence. It is detrimental to society. Some Sri Lankan TV is not suitable for young minds.

Our TV Channels should give priority to presenting programs of aesthetic value, elevating artistic appreciation, showing what is good for the entire family and society at large. It should be educational.

Propagating Dharma
The Buddhist Channel is comprised of programs on the teachings of the Buddha. These educational programs are based on moral-virtue, calm-concentration, and mindful-wisdom (sila, samadhi, and prajna respectively).

The idea is to teach individually moral, publicly ethical, and timelessly spiritual values. The Channel's thinking and philosophy are to build an exemplary Buddhist society in Sri Lanka. It is also to create an excellent international image for the country. With this good intention in mind, the Buddhist Channel was started as the world’s first and only global Buddhist satellite television broadcasting network.

The Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, inaugurated it a year ago, stating: “One Poson Day more than 2,000 years ago, Arhat Mahinda Thera, son of the Great Indian Emperor Asoka, brought the message of the Buddha and Dharma to our island. Today using modern technology, we can send the Buddha’s message to the entire world.”

As the president stated, it is the "Gift of Dharma" that Sri Lanka is eminently qualified to send out to the world. The Buddha and Dharma illuminate the way. Humankind is thus able to cross from dark, hateful, deluded conflict and suffering into a new world of light filled with loving-kindness, compassion, wisdom, and the peace and happiness that come from that.

This is to be achieved within the next few decades, making the Channel a catalyst for a "new world order" of righteousness.

A pious Hindu, the Tamil gentleman Muhundan Kanage, was the owner of CBN SAT TV Channel (Pvt) Ltd. When his company was acquired by Dialog Television (Pvt) Ltd, he insisted on having a Sri Lankan Buddhist Channel. He made arrangements with the new owners to allocate a Buddhist Channel in their package and donated the TV equipment he owned to Sambodhi Viharaya on Gregory’s Road in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

The Origin
Today, it is part of the religious programming of the Dialog Sat TV, which is a DTH service given to its subscribers free of charge like the other religious channels-Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. At the same time, the SLT Vision Com is also transmitting these Buddhist programs. The Buddhist channel is still in its infancy. It has not yet fully established in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankans can view The Buddhist channel programs on TNL for a couple of hours commencing from 3:00 PM daily....

The mission has already been undertaken by the Ven. Shastrapathi Pandita Daranagama Kusaladhamma Nayaka Thera with the help of a dynamic committee for the Sri Sambodhi Viharaya. Everything is already in motion to make the Buddhist Channel a terrestrial telecasting service.
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